As expressed in the title of the present specification, the following invention refers to a system for preparing hot beverages in automatic vending machines, being useful to be included in known hot beverage automatic vending machines, and especially for the preparation of coffee, in such a way that by means of the proposed system there is an attempt to obtain an assembly as low as possible, in order to permit the assembly of compartments of the different components necessary to make the different products with the largest possible capacity.
Hence, the system is based on positioning in different vertical planes the precise components of the system for preparing the products and the same is preferably useful in the preparation of coffee, in such a way that the distribution chamber from a vertical resting and loading position, is moved to an inclined position for the preparation of the product itself, to later return to its vertical resting and loading position. The pressed tablet has been discharged and a new product can be prepared.
The guided cyclic movement of the distribution chamber, with respect to two pairs of guides, is caused by means of a pair of connecting rods with respect to respective driving wheels rotating by a shared shaft, in such a way that in a rotation of 360xc2x0 of the pair of driving wheels the operation of preparing a cup of coffee is materialized.
The system for preparing hot beverages, and specifically coffee, is applicable to be included in all types of hot beverage automatic vending machines.
Among systems for preparing hot beverages, and more specifically coffee, we can cite the one wherein the distribution chamber, once it has received the corresponding dose of ground coffee, rotates and rises abutting against a fixed piston for the purpose of pressing the dose of ground coffee. The water then proceeds to be introduced in relation to the bottom part of the fixed base filter of the distribution chamber for the preparation of the cup of coffee.
Then, the elimination of the pressed tablet of ground coffee formed in the distribution chamber should be proceeded with, for which purpose it is the chamber itself that moves downward, while the base filter thereof does not move. This makes the cited released tablet, rest freely on the base filter, with the subsequent rotation of the assembly of the distribution chamber and the base filter thereof, be moved by the conveying funnel itself of the dose of ground coffee to the distribution chamber.
For this purpose, the conveying funnel of the dose of ground coffee towards the distribution chamber has a small rotating movement that permits movement thereof with respect to the base filter, materializing a perfect cleaning thereof.
The system includes a rotating body in a position below the distribution chamber provided with an eccentric related to the piston of the base filter of the distribution chamber in order to transmit this upward and downward movement to it, as the opposite end of the piston with respect to the base filter of the distribution chamber is guided, with respect to a part fixed to the rotating shaft of the bottom body.
The different operations that are produced in the preparation of the coffee are caused by means of a pair of connecting rods connected by one of their ends to the bottom rotating body and to the body comprising the distribution chamber.
On the other hand, we can cite European patent EP 0948926 wherein an automatic coffee machine is described and claimed and wherein, in an initial position, the distribution chamber discharges into a conveying funnel of the corresponding dose of ground coffee, in such a way that once the dose of ground coffee has been deposited in the distribution chamber it proceed to turn and it faces a piston which in its movement, from its resting position, causes the pressing of the dose of ground coffee deposited in the distribution chamber.
Likewise, the water is introduced through the shaft of the pressing piston of the dose of ground coffee, and finally, the removal of the tablet of pressed coffee will take place from the distribution chamber, for which purpose, the pressing piston of the dose of ground coffee is moved from its pressing position to its first resting position. It actuates simultaneously on the base filter of the distribution chamber, by means of a tiltable plate, causing the removal of the tablet of pressed coffee up to the top level of the distribution chamber, the table resting freely thereon, permitting its removal.
With the subsequent rotation of the distribution chamber, the tablet of pressed coffee abuts against the conveying funnel of the ground coffee to the distribution chamber, moving it so that the distribution chamber is prepared to receive a fresh dose of ground coffee, once the base filter has been moved to its resting position.
Likewise, the system includes a pair of connecting rods that transmit the movement to the distribution chamber from the driving element, for the purpose of causing the different operations in the process of preparing the cup of coffee.
On the other hand, we can cite Spanish patent of invention no. P200101136 in the name of the same owner as this application, which describes xe2x80x9ca system for preparing hot beverages in automatic vending machinesxe2x80x9d, whose system comprises a body wherein a conveying funnel and feeding of the dose of ground coffee to the distribution chamber and a pressing piston of the dose of ground coffee in the distribution chamber are defined. Said body is guided by means of respective pivots located in relation to a pair of connected guides, upon being connected to a pair of connecting rods that transmit movement to it. The funnel or piston discharges into the distribution chamber, depending on the operation to be carried out in the preparation of a cup of coffee, whereas the distribution chamber remains static.
The present specification describes a system for preparing hot beverages in automatic vending machines, being of the type of known hot beverage automatic vending machines, and especially for the preparation of coffee, which have a distribution chamber in which the corresponding dose of ground coffee is introduced and pressed, in such a way that the system comprises an assembly body of the whose system, in such a way that the distribution chamber has a first vertical resting and loading position and a second inclined position for the preparation of the product. The distribution chamber is movable from one position to another by means of a pair of connecting rods to which it connects rotatably, by one of its ends. Said pair of connecting rods is connected by their other end in an eccentric position to respective driving rotating wheels, in such a way that the distribution chamber has a shaft to which by one of its ends connects rotatably, the pair of movement transmitting connecting rods. Said shaft is guided by a first pair of through side guides materialized in the side walls of the assembly body of the whole system, whose first pair of grooves have a first horizontal section and a second section inclined with respect to the second position for production of the product.
A second guiding shaft collaborates in the guiding of the distribution chamber by a second pair of guides materialized on the inside surface of the side walls of the assembly body of the whole system, having means for the operation of the filter under the distribution chamber by means of a shaft integral thereto, and whose shaft is clamped by a spring, that impels the filter towards its bottom operating position.
The frame that defines the distribution chamber is moved from its first resting and loading position to its second product preparation position, conveyed with respect to the two pairs of side guides materialized in the side walls of the assembly body of the whole system. The elements comprising the frame are kept static, in other words, the frame that mounts the different components is moved, without the components being actuated during said movement.
The second pair of side guides conveying the distribution chamber, in which the corresponding shaft fits, is defined by a recess of the inside surface of the side walls of the body that houses the assembly of components of the system, being wider than that first pair of guides, in such a way that the second pair of guides overlap, approximately, half their length, with the second section inclined of the first pair of guides.
The means for the operation of the bottom filter of the distribution chamber, for the purpose of being able to remove the pressed tablet of coffee, once the coffee has been prepared, are defined by a rotating plate arranged between the top part of the pair of driving wheels, whose plate has on its inside surface a circular surface concentric to the shaft of the driving wheels, whereon on the outside surface of the plate there if a curved concavity with respect to the area of abutment with the shaft of the filter of the distribution chamber.
Between the pair of driving wheels there is an eccentric shaft actuating the rotating operating plate of the bottom filter of the distribution chamber, contacting it with respect to its circular bottom surface concentric with the rotating shaft of the pair of driving wheels.
The distribution chamber from its second product preparation position is moved towards its resting position. The bottom plate actuates simultaneously on the filter shaft recoiling the spring which clamps it, in such a way that the downward movement of the frame of the distribution chamber causes the pressed tablet of coffee to rise so that it is removed through a small projection of the bottom base of the feed funnel of the doses of ground coffee.
The filter shaft of the distribution chamber is integral to it, by means of an anchoring screw, in such a way that the filter shaft and the spring that clamps it are in relation to a tubular section of the frame of the distribution chamber. The bottom part integral to the filter shaft is movable by the tubular section and the bottom part acts like an abutment of the spring that clamps it, in such a way that the base itself of the distribution chamber acts as an abutment of the assembly defined by the filter, the shaft and the bottom part integral therewith.
In order to complete the description that is going to be made hereinafter, and for the purpose of providing a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the present specification is accompanied by a set of drawings, in whose figures, the most characteristic details of the invention are represented in an illustrative and non-restrictive manner.